October Newsletter
Updated: Sep 25
2026 Edition
“I was taught that the way of progress was neither swift nor easy.”
- Marie Curie
The Editor's Take: Hang in there!
Welcome back, AMWA UTD! I wanted to start off by wishing you all good luck with your upcoming midterms or exams. This October, we continue to feature your favorite columns - Spotlight, What's Poppin' and Hot Button.
The Newsletter team is composed of 6 incredible writers: Paree Sardesai, Aditri Chikkam, Anna May, Abhi Saravanan, Sarah Sunelwala, Amani Ahmed. Every month, we will work to bring you engaging and informative articles in the form of individual articles, as well as columns. Stay tuned for more!
We also encourage AMWA UTD members to submit any pieces of work they would like to see featured in the Newsletter. I hope you enjoy reading these articles, as we have truly put our whole hearts into them. If you have any topics, ideas, or your own pieces of writing that you would like to submit, please feel free to email me at Samhitha.Palla@utdallas.edu. I wish you all a great start to your semester!
- Samhitha
Ziwig Endotest
By: Sarah Sunelwala
1 in 10 women of reproductive age live with Endometriosis, but it takes an average of 4-11 years after women begin experiencing symptoms to get diagnosed. This delay in diagnosis is often due to overlapping symptoms where endometriosis is diagnosed after patients receive a diagnosis of exclusion. Patients may first be diagnosed with IBM (irritable bowel syndrome), pelvic floor dysfunction, or painful bladder syndrome because symptoms of endometriosis overlap with these conditions, making it harder to diagnose. Patients who experience symptoms may also be referred for surgery to evaluate whether endometriosis lesions or tissues are present, but surgery can be extremely expensive, and is often a case of last resort for many physicians and healthcare professionals. Pelvic exams and ultrasounds can catch endometriosis but these exams require the presence of cysts in the inner abdomen, a very late stage sign of endometriosis. Waiting until the disease becomes easier to detect is not feasible for women with endometriosis, especially when they have already been experiencing painful symptoms for years. Yahya El Mir, the founder of Ziwig, a French biotech company, saw this delay in endometriosis diagnosis and found a creative solution.
The Ziwig Endotest is a saliva based test that analyzes a specific sequence of 109 microRNAs that form a molecular signature associated with endometriosis. This sequence of 109 microRNAs was decided by researchers who found that many of these miRNAs are associated with cellular pathways relevant to endometriosis. Those pathways can influence things such as inflammation, cell proliferation, survival angiogenesis, hypoxia responses, migration, invasion, and tissue remodeling, all of which can be relevant to the progression and development of endometriosis. Overall, this miRNA sequencing pattern has demonstrated 97.3% sensitivity, 94.1% specificity, and 96.6% overall diagnostic accuracy for endometriosis in a large validation study.
The Ziwig Endotest requires patients to spit into a tube after avoiding food, drink, makeup and brushing their teeth for 30 minutes. Afterwards, patients mail their test to the nearest Ziwig Lab and should receive their results within 15 days. A much faster and less invasive method in comparison to the current diagnostic methods for endometriosis.
While the Ziwig Endotest is an advanced technology that could be vital in diagnosing endometriosis, it comes with its own set of risks. Although the Ziwig Endotest has become available in several countries, access remains limited in the United States, which could create challenges if demand for the test increases. Additionally, there are currently fewer clinical resources and less long-term evidence available for the Ziwig Endotest compared with more established methods of evaluating endometriosis. Lastly, the Ziwig Endotest is not 100% accurate, meaning some patients may still require additional diagnostic evaluation, including imaging or laparoscopy.
Despite these limitations, the Ziwig Endotest demonstrates how advances in molecular diagnostics could change the way endometriosis is identified. Rather than relying primarily on symptoms, imaging findings, or invasive surgical procedures, physicians may be able to use molecular signatures to identify the disease earlier in the diagnostic process. As the Endotest becomes more widely studied and accessible, it could help reduce the years many patients currently spend searching for an explanation for their symptoms. Most importantly, technologies such as the Endotest demonstrate how biomedical innovation can transform a complex biological signal into a simple diagnostic tool, potentially allowing patients to receive answers and appropriate care much sooner.
Spotlight
AMWA’s Origins: The Life of Bertha Van Hoosen
By: Abhi Saravanan and Paree Sardesai
AMWA, or the American Medical Women’s Association, has long been a cornerstone for empowering women going into the healthcare field across the nation. The organization focuses on making sure that the next generation of healthcare is diverse, and that every woman, young or old, from all walks of life feels like she belongs in the room, whether it be an operating room, an examination room, or otherwise. With chapters all across the country (including one right here at UTD!), AMWA continues to flourish and spread its influence. Given the organization’s notoriety, the story of the woman who helped create a space for women in medicine when such opportunities were far from guaranteed must be catapulted to the public.
Bertha van Hoosen, born in 1863, grew up in Michigan. She was born to a family of farmers and believed that growing up on a farm gave her a realistic outlook on life. After going through various public schools and graduating high school at 17, she enrolled in the University of Michigan. She initially enrolled with the intent to study literature, but upon meeting two women who decided to study medicine, she got inspired to follow in their footsteps and pursue it as well.
Van Hoosen’s parents did not support her decision, and they refused to give her the money to fund her education. Despite the lack of support from her family, she enrolled in the University of Michigan’s school of medicine after graduating with her Bachelor of Arts from her literary studies in 1884. During her time as a medicine student, she taught calisthenics, served as an obstetrical nurse, and more in order to fund her education. She graduated with her Doctorate in Medicine in 1888.
After earning her medical degree, Van Hoosen continued to practice medicine while facing oppression from male colleagues. In 1892, she became a professor in gynecology at Northwestern University Women’s Medical School, but she worked without pay. Despite these challenges, she kept advocating for herself. Her accomplishments continued to grow, and in 1913 she became the head of the gynecology staff at Cook County Hospital. On the Civil Service Board exams, she had scored the highest of all her colleagues. She went on to make great contributions in medicine, such as buttonhole surgical stitching, sterilization during surgery, and developing scopolamine-morphine anesthetics. Throughout her career she was also an educator, training many female surgeons and doctors across the United States. Along with Marie Curie, van Hoosen was the only woman of her time to be an honorary member of the International Association of Medical Women.
However, science was still largely male-dominated. It was difficult for women to be able to pursue careers in medicine by themselves, due to discrimination and lack of support from society or their families. Thus, Van Hoosen believed that women needed to work together and create an organization of their own to advocate for their rights, support each other, and advance in medicine. In 1915, she brought together a group of medical women in Chicago. This meeting led to the formation of the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), and Van Hoosen became its first president. This organization gave women a collective voice to continue fighting for medical careers.
Van Hoosen is a prime example of the kind of woman that members of AMWA should strive to be. Even when the odds were against her, she demonstrated what it means to be a woman in medicine, and went above and beyond to ensure that the women who followed would not have to ask whether there was a place for them, rather lead the operating room to a brighter future. Bertha van Hoosen’s work in the past set the groundwork for the American Medical Women’s Association in the present. And, thanks to her, AMWA has nothing but positive change in store for the future.
Reducing Menstruation Stigmatization
By: Anna May
“It’s shark week.” “Aunt Flo is visiting.” “It’s her time of the month.” These euphemisms are commonly used as code words for periods, but the harm hides in plain sight. Avoiding calling periods what they really are feeds into the stigma and shame associated with menstrual cycles. Menstruation stigmatization has lasted for centuries, among various cultures and regions, and continues to perpetuate in our world today.
In 70AD, Pliny the Elder wrote that crops will “wither and die” and bees will “forsake their hives” if a menstruating woman touches them. Books on midwifery in 1684 compare women on their periods to be like cockatrice, mythical beasts who are capable of killing people simply by looking at them. Today, we see Thinx and other period product brands market pads and tampons as “silent” or “discreet,” making even opening a pad in a public bathroom a scandalous act. We shop for “sanitary” napkins in the feminine “hygiene” sections of our grocery stores, still believing that periods are unclean and that we must purify our nature. This stigma stretches for generations, and unless we take action, the shame surrounding menstruation will continue to harm millions of menstruators for decades.
The practical harm that menstruation stigma inflicts on women manifests in different ways. 1 in 3 girls skip school because of a lack of accessibility to period products. Though menstrual products yield billions of dollars in profit, the majority of items are not accessible to low-income countries. As well as experiencing financial hardship for having a cycle, women meet prejudice in all aspects of their lives. 76% of Muslim girls and 52% of Christian girls in Tanzania faced period-related discrimination in being prohibited from attending prayer. Stigma around periods can alter women’s spiritual health, but when we magnify the impact of this universal shame, it is clear how women’s physical health is compromised as well. 62% of women aged 16-54 with symptoms of endometriosis would avoid going to their doctor to discuss their condition because they do not believe they would be taken seriously, they would bother their doctor, or they would be embarrassed. Fear of rejection and being ashamed of women’s health perpetuates the harm further and puts women at risk for diseases left untreated. Avoiding discussions of periods has led to a lack of activism for accessibility, discrimination against menstruators, and disadvantaged advocacy for women’s health.
Despite social inequities and prejudice, there are strides being made to advocate for women’s health and the normalization of periods. For the first time ever, researchers at Oregon Health and Science University used real human blood, instead of standard saline, to test the absorbencies of various period products, such as pads, tampons, discs, cups, and period underwear. By calling attention to the unacceptable use of saline in testing and development, the research team brought awareness to the stigma and pushed for researching the health consequences of heavy flows in women. As well as promoting proper testing and awareness, government bodies have been working to end period poverty. Turning the attention of policymakers to the plight of women’s health expands access to period products. Scotland became the first country to provide free tampons and pads through the Period Products (Free Provision) Bill in 2020. This bill allows many community centers, schools, and pharmacies to offer free period products to anyone who may need it. Similarly, states in the U.S., such as New York, Illinois, and Washington, have been following suit for increased accessibility in public schools. In the hopes of boosting school attendance, these policymakers support young menstruators and work to dismantle period poverty.
Increasing access to period products has enormous impact, but the benefits for destigmatizing menstruation are countless. Increasing attendance for young girls in school and the prioritization of medical care uplifts women who menstruate with support and consideration for their wellbeing. When individuals are better informed and educated about women’s health, medical problems and cycle abnormalities are more identifiable, leading to expanded and faster treatment. Spreading awareness and advocating for change can address inadequate approaches in healthcare and the lack of research for reproductive health, endometriosis, and polycystic ovarian syndrome. Erasing the taboo around periods can benefit women’s quality of life, body positivity, and mental and physical health.
Though not every individual can shape public policy or research ovarian cancer, each person can make small choices to normalize periods in their daily lives. Being proactive about educating yourself and others on women’s menstrual cycles and overall health helps to mitigate misinformation and break down the social barriers between men’s and women’s health. Discussing periods in public spaces loudly, openly, and without using code words or euphemisms breaks down the shame associated with hiding menstruation from the world. When women are honest about their menstrual cycles and symptoms in doctor’s appointments, it enlightens the gaps in clinical research of women’s health and can save lives of patients with underlying conditions, such as endometriosis. Each choice to actively normalize menstruation brings awareness to women in period poverty, the global neglect of women’s health, and advocacy for change.
Artificial Ovaries
By: Aditri Chikkam
While cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation can be lifesaving, they can also damage the ovaries and affect fertility, especially in younger patients. Current fertility preservation options include freezing eggs, embryos, or ovarian tissue before treatment begins. However, these methods may not be suitable for every patient, particularly those who cannot delay cancer treatment or are too young to undergo egg retrieval. This has led researchers to explore new options, such as artificial ovaries.
Despite the name, artificial ovaries are not mechanical replacements for natural ovaries. Rather, they are engineered structures designed to recreate the environment of an ovary and support ovarian follicles, which contain immature eggs. By placing isolated follicles into these structures, researchers hope to provide an environment where they can survive and continue to develop. While the technology has shown potential, artificial ovaries are still experimental and are not yet available as a standard treatment.
Artificial ovaries could provide an alternative for young cancer survivors to preserve their fertility. Unlike transplanting frozen ovarian tissue, researchers could isolate healthy follicles before placing them into an artificial ovary, which may reduce the risk of reintroducing cancerous cells. Artificial ovaries may also help restore ovarian hormone production, making their potential benefits extend beyond fertility.
To create an artificial ovary, healthy ovarian follicles are first isolated from ovarian tissue. These follicles are then placed into a 3D structure called a scaffold, which is designed to mimic the environment of a natural ovary. The scaffold gives the follicles a place to survive and develop while providing the support they would normally receive inside the ovary. Researchers hope that these follicles could eventually develop enough to help restore fertility and optimal ovarian function.
Although artificial ovaries show potential, several challenges remain before they can be widely used. Experimental studies have shown promising results in follicle survival, growth, and hormone production, but maintaining these functions long-term remains difficult. Researchers have also developed methods, including 3D bioprinting and hydrogel-based scaffolds that can improve follicle survival and vascularization. However, creating a fully functional blood supply remains a major challenge because follicles need a steady supply of oxygen and nutrients to survive and develop after transplantation. Researchers have achieved partial follicle development, but consistently producing fully mature, functional eggs remains difficult because artificial ovaries cannot yet fully recreate the complex biological environment and signals of a natural ovary.
As research continues, artificial ovaries could become a new option for restoring fertility and ovarian function after cancer treatment. Advances in technologies such as 3D bioprinting may allow researchers to create structures that more closely resemble natural ovarian tissue. Although artificial ovaries are not yet ready for routine clinical use, continued research could eventually provide young cancer survivors with another opportunity to preserve their fertility and reproductive health.
What's Poppin'
First mRNA Cancer Vaccine
By: Aditri Chikkam and Amani Ahmed
The intersection of research and medicine has made significant progress over the past few years. In vitro fertilization (IVF) has proven to be a viable alternative for those struggling with infertility. CRISPR gene editing has shown promising results for tackling genetic disorders, such as sickle cell anemia. And even more recently, artificial intelligence (AI) has become more increasingly integrated in healthcare systems to aid with diagnostics and create tailored plans for patients. Given these strides, it's not a stretch to believe in the possibility of a vaccine to target cancer, which is precisely what pharmaceutical companies Moderna and Merck have been working towards developing. In fact, this cancer vaccine has recently passed phase 3 of clinical trials, meaning this vaccine can soon be a reality for patients in the next few years.
While Moderna and Merk’s isn’t the first cancer vaccine to be developed in history, it is the first personalized mRNA-based vaccine to pass late-stage clinical testing. This vaccine utilizes mRNA technology similar to the one used to develop the COVID-19 vaccine. It is important to note however, that this is not a panacea, but rather a vaccine intended to prevent the recurrence of melanoma, a serious form of skin cancer. This is especially crucial for the case of melanoma which has a high rate of metastatization, or the ability for cancerous cells to travel through the bloodstream and reach vital organs, including the brain, lungs, liver, and bones.
The power of Moderna and Merck’s vaccine lay in intismeran, a component which is created by taking a sample of a patient's tumor which then undergoes sequencing to determine the mutations within the cancerous cells. The cancer mutations create proteins called neoantigens which are marker proteins expressed on the surface of the cancerous cells.The mRNA vaccine is developed to instruct one’s body to make, and therefore, recognize these unique neoantigens, which the immune system then becomes primed to attack.
To test how well the vaccine works, researchers conducted a phase 3 clinical trial involving approximately 1,110 patients whose melanoma had been surgically removed. The patients were split into two groups; one received the personalized vaccine along with pembrolizumab (a drug that helps the immune system fight cancer), while the other received pembrolizumab alone. Researchers found that patients who received the vaccine combination went longer without their melanoma returning or spreading to other parts of the body. These results are especially promising because this is the first personalized mRNA cancer treatment to show positive results in a large phase 3 trial.
Despite these promising results, personalized cancer vaccines still face several challenges. Unlike traditional vaccines that can be produced in large quantities, each dose must be specially made for an individual patient. Researchers first need to analyze the patient’s tumor, determine which features of the cancer would make the best targets, and then create the personalized vaccine. This process can take around 8-12 weeks. This waiting period could be especially difficult for patients with rapidly progressing cancers. Another challenge is that cancer cells within the same tumor can differ from another or change over time, meaning the vaccine may not be able to recognize and target every cancer cell.
Even with these challenges, the potential of personalized cancer vaccines extends far beyond melanoma. Researchers are already exploring similar vaccines for several other types of cancer, with the hope that this approach could eventually be adapted to target the unique characteristics of many different tumors. Scientists are also studying how these vaccines can be combined with other cancer treatments to make the immune response even stronger. As genetic sequencing and technology continue to improve, researchers may also be able to identify cancer targets more accurately and create personalized vaccines more efficiently. Together, these advancements could bring cancer treatment closer to an approach designed around each individual patient rather than relying on the same treatment for everyone.
Keeping the Lights On: The Struggles of Rural American Healthcare
By: Abhi Saravanan
Introduction
One of the primary principles of healthcare that every professional does their best to uphold is the idea that everyone, regardless of where they come from, what they believe in, and more, deserves equal rights to the same level of quality in their healthcare. This is especially relevant in the United States with the disparities between hospitals in crowded city-like areas versus hospitals in rural areas with a distinctly lower population. The access to proper healthcare has long been a struggle for people who live in smaller, less-populated areas, but recent political developments have made an even bigger blow to hospitals in rural towns.
What Exactly Is the One Big Beautiful Bill?
On July 4th, 2025, President Donald Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, or the OBBBA. The bill was primarily designed with the intent to fund tax cuts for the “ultrawealthy;” it came at the cost of reducing the funding for many programs designed to help with basic needs for Americans. One of the primary programs that got the biggest decrease in funding was Medicaid, the United State’s primary joint federal and state healthcare insurance program. With tighter eligibility requirements, restrictions on immigrant eligibility, and less flexibility with state financing, the program is merely one part of a cut of over $1 trillion in government spending for healthcare. This has led to over 10 million individuals left uninsured.
After the passing of the OBBBA, rural healthcare in America, which is often overlooked, has been left in a particularly critical state of panic. Rural America hosts much smaller populations, as well as much less resources. Rural hospitals rely concerningly heavily on Medicaid in order to operate, and the lack of proper funding from Medicaid makes it difficult for these hospitals to function. Rural hospitals already operate on smaller margins as compared to their urban counterparts, often needing additional funding from external sources to keep the lights on. Medicaid in particular was projected to be cut by $137 billion annually; the government tried to alleviate the cuts with a “Rural Health Transformation” fund, but it only covers $50 billion of the cuts, leaving more than half of the money left to be made up.
This is particularly dangerous for rural hospitals because Medicaid, as well as the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, (a healthcare reform law enacted in 2010 designed to make healthcare insurance more available to the public also affected by the OBBBA), because studies have proven that when both programs are preserved, health outcomes are stronger overall. Surgical outcomes are improved, cancer is detected earlier, and, most importantly, there is a higher access to healthcare. The Affordable Care Act also made health coverage more affordable; rural areas have higher insurance premiums as compared to urban areas, which the ACA offset with premium tax credits. With the threat posed by the OBBBA, the benefits that both these programs brought for rural health outcomes could dwindle drastically.
The Real Time Effects
While it is easy to talk about the dangers that rural areas now face in regards to their health, it’s easier to see those effects play out in real time with accounts from people who work and live in these areas.
Edward Shanshala, CEO of Ammonoosuc Community Health Services based in New Hampshire, has said that he and his team had to shut down a clinic located in Franconia, a very sparsely populated area of the state. He also believes that a new stream of federal funding might not be enough to alleviate the hits that his organization has already taken. In Virginia, Valley Health’s hospital in Winchester had to close its operation unit in order to save money and adjust to the cuts that the OBBBA brought on. Finally, in Oklahoma, INTEGRIS, a major system of healthcare clinics, has planned to close down multiple locations, including dermatology, pediatric, and mental health clinics.
Many executives are facing problems as a result of these cuts; however, the patients that these executives are responsible for are left in an even more severe position. They have little options as to what can be done. Glenn County, a rural county in California, had to close down its only hospital due to a lack of funding, now leaving the nearest hospital around 40 minutes away in a neighboring county. Glenn County’s hospital’s director of nurses, Britney Mundi, says that because of this closure, patients are at risk of death; in cases of a heart attack or a stroke, if action can’t be taken quickly due to how far away the closest hospital is, it might be too late to take an action at all. The hospital in Glenn County is just one example of the more than 700 rural hospitals that are closing due to the lack of Medicaid funding– about a third of rural hospitals around the country. A third of America’s rural community will be left without easy access to a hospital in the case of an emergency.
What the Future Holds
The One Big Beautiful Bill proposes a threat to many basic needs programs in the United States, but Medicaid is perhaps one of the highest-effected. There is no saying what the future holds in healthcare for anyone in America, let alone those who live in rural areas. Healthcare can’t be considered proper until everyone has access to the same levels of it, regardless of whether their town has a million residents or a thousand. Healthcare in less populated regions deserves just as much attention as does healthcare in more densely packed ones. Rural hospitals aren’t any less deserving of keeping their lights on.
PMOS: More Than a Name Change
By: Amani Ahmed
Issues relating to women’s health have been neglected and misunderstood for far too long. Women continue to be underrepresented in clinical studies, and little is known about conditions that they are disproportionately affected by. It was only a couple months ago that a collective effort brought much needed focus to a condition that affects 170 million women worldwide - an effort that finally bore fruit after 14 years in the making.
On May 12, 2026, The Lancet, the world's leading medical journal, published the name change of PCOS, polycystic ovarian syndrome to PMOS, polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome. At its core, this condition involves hormone fluctuations which manifest as many abnormalities in the female body. One of the most notable symptoms of PMOS is irregularities in one menstrual cycle which are often fewer, unpredictable, and vary in length. Some physical symptoms may include hirsutism (male patterned hair growth), acne, and weight gain. Moreover, due to improper hormonal regulation, PMOS is also linked to other health concerns such as diabetes (due to insulin resistance), high cholesterol, sleep apnea, and problems related to mental health.
The former name of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) placed unnecessary focus on the reproductive aspect of this condition. Before, it was commonly believed that PCOS was associated with increased formation of cysts, or fluid-filled sacs, along the outer edges of ovaries. However, this was soon disproven as what appeared to be “cysts” were actually misformed follicles which impeded the release of mature eggs. This medical misnomer likely led to this condition being under diagnosed and improperly treated over the years as symptoms vary widely for individuals. Moreover, not enough focus has been given to the other areas PMOS affects as this condition increases risk for metabolic and cardiovascular health. Hence, the revised name of polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome better encapsulates this condition and its far reaching effects on the entire body, and not just the reproductive portion.
This change is so much more than a simple letter swap of a ‘C’ for an ‘M’; this change represents something much larger for women everywhere. The exact cause for PMOS is yet to be uncovered, but this renaming is the first step towards meaningful change. This new name calls for a more collaborative effort across specialties, and not just a problem in the hands of OBGYNs. Endocrinologists can help treat underlying hormonal dysfunctions, nutritionists/dieticians can treat tailored lifestyle and diet plans, while psychiatrists can help alleviate issues related to mental health. Hence, increased collaboration would prove to be of much benefit for individuals with PMOS.
What may seem like a simple name change was actually the result of collaborative efforts of many over the past few years. This included 22,000 patient surveys as well as workshops attended by health professionals from various nations (Endocrine Society, 2026). Not only does this mark a shift in the approach to women's health, but it also highlights the immense power of collaboration in bringing crucial matters to the forefront. This rebrand can serve as inspiration for much needed, future efforts that hold the capability of wholly transforming women’s health.
History of Anesthesia in Gynecology
By: Paree Sardesai
In AMWA at UTD, we’re committed to uplifting and advocating for women in healthcare. But in order to support the future of women’s healthcare, we must also understand its past. There have been many advances in medicine throughout history, improving patient care and quality of life. However, this did not come without inequality of how certain patients were treated. The history of anesthesia in gynecology is one example of how an advancement in medicine came at the cost of inequality faced by women.
Before the creation of modern anesthesia, undergoing surgery in the 19th century was a harrowing experience. Patients had to be conscious throughout the procedure, as there were no pain relievers. Doctors utilized different methods to manage patients’ pain, such as using alcohol and physically restraining them. Procedures had to be performed as quickly as possible, which led to more problems along the way. As a result, patients would experience physical stress and shock, causing more serious complications. This was an issue especially in gynecology. Women would endure childbirth and other surgeries without any form of modern pain relief. However, the absence of anesthesia affected some women more than others. Enslaved Black women in this time period faced more exploitation when it came to their medical rights.
One of the most prominent examples included a nineteenth-century physician, J. Marion Sims. Often called the “Father of Gynecology,” He’s said to have developed surgical treatments for vesicovaginal fistulas, a life-threatening condition after childbirth. But his title is considered very problematic because of the unethical ways he conducted his research. Sims repeatedly operated on black enslaved women, including Anarcha Westcott, Lucy, and Betsey, without their consent or the use of pain relievers. While Sims did go on to develop a treatment for vesicovaginal fistulas, his ethics and legacy are called into question.
This had started to change after 1846. At Massachusetts General Hospital, physicians demonstrated the use of ether as an anesthetic for surgery. With this, patients could undergo surgery while unconscious and not face any pain. Later on, other agents were also developed, such as chloroform and nitrous oxide. This transformed gynecology and allowed childbirth to be safer for patients. Modern anesthesia, as we know it, became an integral part of healthcare. Yet, we must remember the part of history that led to this: the exploitation of Westcott, Lucy, Betsey, and many other black women.
As AMWA members, we have the opportunity to learn from this history and carry it forward. We should listen to our female patients with compassion, respect their autonomy, and involve them in decisions about their health. As seen with the invention of anesthesia in gynecology, it’s not only the scientific progress that defines healthcare; it’s also in how we treat our patients.
Hot Button
AI Health
By: Anna May and Sarah Sunelwala
Artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly integrated into healthcare, changing not only how patients receive care but also how healthcare professionals diagnose disease, communicate with patients, and manage their daily workload. Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to technology capable of learning, reasoning, or performing tasks that would traditionally require human intelligence, particularly when analyzing large amounts of data. In healthcare, these capabilities have expanded from traditionally simple administrative functions to clinical applications involving medical imaging and treatment recommendations. As these technologies become more advanced, the question is shifting from whether AI will be used in healthcare to how extensively it should be involved in patient care.
The rapid growth of AI has created both excitement and concern among healthcare professionals and patients. AI has the potential to reduce administrative burden, identify patterns within medical data, improve efficiency, and potentially lower healthcare costs. At the same time, its growing involvement in clinical decisions raises questions about accuracy, privacy, and the loss of human interaction. These concerns become particularly important when AI moves beyond administrative assistance and begins influencing diagnoses and treatment decisions. Understanding AI's impact on healthcare therefore requires examining both sides of the clinical relationship: the providers incorporating these technologies into their work and the patients whose care is increasingly influenced by them.
For healthcare professionals, artificial intelligence is functioning increasingly as a tool that supports clinical work rather than simply replacing it. AI can streamline administrative tasks such as documentation, medical coding, and scheduling, potentially allowing providers to dedicate more time to patient care. Additionally,AI algorithms can assist with interpreting medical images, identifying patterns within patient records, and supporting clinical decision making. Physicians have begun using AI-based clinical information tools such as OpenEvidence to rapidly search and synthesize medical literature when answering clinical questions. While AI has many advantages and can be used to support healthcare, it also can pose significant danger to not only providers but also patients. It is important to remember that healthcare is a patient-facing career, where people’s lives are at stake. An overdependence on AI can lead to severe detriments in patient safety, data privacy, and clinical judgement.
AI is known to produce errors and hallucinations, where it can misread scans, recommend the wrong treatment plans, and hallucinate studies that are completely incorrect while sounding confident. AI systems are closed systems. They learn from past data and can only be influenced by the data someone imports into it, AI will reflect exactly the information it is given. There have been many studies where AI has revealed a multitude of biases, such as selection bias, where for example if an AI is given multiple images of patients with a certain condition being light skinned and then being asked to analyze the same condition in a patient with darker skin, AI often shows discriminatory outcomes. AI can also show a confirmation bias, so if for example, an AI is consistently shown historical prejudices it will reflect those prejudices in its answer. These biases are especially dangerous for healthcare, especially when unregulated. AI does not possess worldview ethics, which is why it is essential for human healthcare workers to continue to provide care and only use AI as a supplement to automate tasks.
Perhaps a less obvious consequence of provider-facing AI involves the relationship between physicians and their patients. Generative AI can now help providers draft patient messages, explain complicated diagnoses in understandable language, and even make written communication appear more compassionate. Interestingly, a meta analysis of 13 studies found that AI generated responses had a 73% probability of being rated as more empathetic than responses from human healthcare professionals in text-based comparisons.AI may be capable of helping a physician find information, interpret data, or formulate a response, but responsibility, clinical judgment, and the relationship between a patient and healthcare professional is something that only a human healthcare worker can and should provide.
Patients receiving healthcare are likewise affected by the increased implementation of AI into various practices and clinics. Taking a deeper look into the concerns and benefits of this change for patients can illuminate the impact and necessity of the use of AI in medicine. Looking at what matters most to patients before, during, and after the hospital experience by surveying different demographics guides AI application to how it can best improve healthcare. KLAS research and Luma Health surveyed over 1000 patients in July 2025 to gain insight into patients’ opinions on accuracy of diagnosis, personalization of care, cost reduction, etc. Patients lean toward AI use in secretarial tasks, such as appointment scheduling and check-in, but show less comfort in AI’s involvement in diagnoses and treatment protocols.
Trust and empathy between providers and patients is the essence of medicine. In a literature review published by Nature Medicine, 38 studies over 18 countries provided that 50-70% of participants disclosed significant concerns with AI in their healthcare. The main worries included a lack of human connection, privacy leaks, patient autonomy, and diagnostic accuracy. Having a human-forward approach to healthcare is vital to the wellbeing of both patient and provider. When doctors listen to patients with empathy and respect, patients build trust with their provider, and this connection allows for more personalized care and willingness to follow medical advice.
Along with human connectivity and empathy, medicine must uphold a standard of care with reliability and accuracy of information in diagnoses, treatments, and general medical guidance. A study published in Nature Medicine by the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Würzburg investigated the reliability of AI in providing digital medical advice. Participants assessed how empathetic and reliable certain advice was when delivered by sources that were human-based, AI-based, and AI+human-based advice. Significantly lower willingness to follow advice was determined when AI was involved in the creation of the advice given to the participants, in the form of AI-based advice and AI+human-based advice. This study highlights gaps in the abilities of AI to consistently uphold the quality of care that humans sustain with years of medical training and lifetimes of caring for others.
Because of these issues and hesitations, human-centered AI that is ethically trained and strictly regulated is the only acceptable implementation of artificial intelligence in healthcare. Though AI may outsmart or streamline processes in healthcare, it can never replace the care and impact that humans can offer.
Sources
Zigwig Endotest
¹ Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2024, August 30). Endometriosis. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/endometriosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20354656
² Perritt, T. (2026, August 12). Endometriosis diagnosis could be as simple as a saliva test. Aeroflow Urology. https://aeroflowurology.com/blog/saliva-test-for-endometriosis
³ Ziwig endotest, a saliva test for endometriosis. Ziwig. (n.d.). https://ziwig.com/en/ziwig-endotest/
AMWA’s Origins: The Life of Bertha Van Hoosen
Detroit Historical Society. (2026, July 7). Van Hoosen, Bertha. Detroithistorical.Org. https://www.detroithistorical.org/learn/online-research/encyclopedia-of-detroit/van-hoosen-bertha
National Library of Medicine. (2026). Biography - dr. Bertha Van Hoosen. U.S. National Library of Medicine. NLM_NIH. https://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/changing-the-face-of-medicine/physicians/biography_bertha_hoosen.html?id=item-154
Reducing Menstruation Stigmatization
DiCarlo, G. (2023, September 6). OHSU researchers test menstrual products with blood for the first time. opb. https://www.opb.org/article/2023/08/30/ohsu-researchers-test-menstrual-products-with-blood-for-the-first-time/
Gillibrand, R. (2024, January 21). How periods have been stigmatized through history to the modern day. How periods have been stigmatized through history to the modern day - medicine.net. https://www.medicine.net/news/OBGYN/How-periods-have-been-stigmatized-through-history-to-the-modern-day.html
Rodriguez, L. (2021, September 30). 20 places around the world where governments provide free period products. Global Citizen. https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/free-period-products-countries-cities-worldwide/
Olson, M. M., Alhelou, N., Kavattur, P. S., Rountree, L., & Winkler, I. T. (2022). The persistent power of stigma: A critical review of policy initiatives to break the menstrual silence and advance menstrual literacy. PLOS global public health, 2(7), e0000070. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0000070
"The expert mid-wife a treatise of the diseases of women with child, and in child-bed: as also, of the best ways and means of help in natural and unnatural labours. With fit remedies for the various maladies of new born babes. A work more full than any yet extant: and most necessar [sic] for all bearing women, mid-wifes, and others that practise this art. By Mr. James McMath, M.D." In the digital collection Early English Books Online 2. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/B26427.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed September 24, 2026.
Artificial Ovaries
Canosa, S., Revelli, A., Gennarelli, G., Cormio, G., Loizzi, V., Arezzo, F., Petracca, E. A., Carosso, A. R., Cimadomo, D., Rienzi, L., Vaiarelli, A., Ubaldi, F. M., & Silvestris, E. (2023). Innovative strategies for fertility preservation in female cancer survivors: New hope from artificial ovary construction and stem cell-derived neo-folliculogenesis. Healthcare, 11(20), 2748. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11202748
Di Berardino, C., Liverani, L., Boccaccini, A. R., Rojo-Fleming, C. C., Sacchetti, G., Peserico, A., Camerano Spelta Rapini, C., Capacchietti, G., & Barboni, B. (2026). Scaffold-based biomaterials in ovarian tissue engineering. RSC Advances, 16(13), 11530–11542. https://doi.org/10.1039/d6ra00380j
Huniadi, A., Murvai, V.-R., Zaha, I. A., Sachelarie, L., Ţica, O., Ţica, O., & Carp-Veliscu, A. (2026). Artificial ovary systems for fertility preservation: Current advances, bioengineering strategies, and translational perspectives. Reproductive Biology, 26(2), 101209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.repbio.2026.101209
Sonmezer, M., Sacinti, K. G., & Oktay, K. H. (2026). Female fertility preservation: 25 years of progress, expanding indications and future prospects. Human Reproduction Update, 32(2), 231–259. https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmaf026
First mRNA Cancer Vaccine
Blass, E., & Ott, P. A. (2021). Advances in the development of personalized neoantigen-based therapeutic cancer vaccines. Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology, 18, 215–229. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41571-020-00460-2
Fieldhouse, R., & Basu, M. (2026). Moderna cancer vaccine stops melanoma returning: What’s next for personalized treatments? Nature, 657, 16–17. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-026-02612-3
Malcolm, L. (2026, April 24). 10 remarkable medical breakthroughs from the last decade. Osmosis. https://www.osmosis.org/blog/10-remarkable-medical-breakthroughs-from-the-last-decade
Ott, P. A. (2026). The promises and challenges of neoantigen cancer vaccines. Nature Biotechnology, 44, 740–751. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41587-026-03018-2
Wang, X., Wang, W., Zou, S., Xu, Z., Cao, D., Zhang, S., Wei, M., Zhan, Q., Wen, C., Li, F., Chen, H., Fu, D., Jiang, L., Zhao, M., & Shen, B. (2024). Combination therapy of KRAS G12V mRNA vaccine and pembrolizumab: Clinical benefit in patients with advanced solid tumors. Cell Research, 34, 661–664. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41422-024-00990-9
Ye, L., Zhao, G., Ma, J., Gan, Q., Luo, N., Pan, D., Chen, C., Chen, X., & Ning, S. (2026). Personalized cancer vaccines: Bridging immune-oncology and precision medicine for advanced therapeutics. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, 11, Article 285. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41392-026-02769-3
Keeping the Lights On: The Struggles of Rural American Healthcare
Andara, Kennedy, et al. “The Implementation Timeline of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.” Center for American Progress, 29 July 2025, https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-implementation-timeline-of-the-one-big-beautiful-bill-act/. Accessed 17 Sept. 2026.
HealthCare.gov. “Affordable Care Act (ACA).” Healthcare.Gov, U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, 2024, https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/affordable-care-act/. Accessed 17 Sept. 2026.
NBC News. “Rural County in California to Lose Its Only Hospital.” YouTube, 10 Oct. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99iY5w8_cdk. Accessed 17 Sept. 2026.
Searing, Adam. “Rural Hospitals and Communities Feeling Impact of H.R. 1 Medicaid Cuts, Rural Health Fund Falls Short.” Center For Children and Families, May 2026, https://ccf.georgetown.edu/2026/05/01/rural-hospitals-and-communities-feeling-impact-of-h-r-1-medicaid-cuts-rural-health-fund-falls-short/. Accessed 17 Sept. 2026.
Yan, Charley, et al. “Rural America Nears a Cliff: Federal Funding Cuts Threaten Health Systems and Anesthesia Care.” Anesthesiology, vol. 144, no. 5, 12 Mar. 2026, pp. 1057–1059, https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13089808/, 10.1097/aln.0000000000005934. Accessed 17 Sept. 2026.
Yates, Melanie, and Peter Yun. “The One Big Beautiful Bill: A Looming Crisis for Health Equity and Emergency Medicine.” Western Journal of Emergency Medicine, vol. 27, no. 1, 20 Dec. 2025, https://doi.org/10.5811/westjem.52943, 10.5811/westjem.52943. Accessed 17 Sept. 2026.
PMOS: More Than a Name Change
Endocrine Society. (2026, September 9). Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome: New name to improve diagnosis and care of condition affecting 170 million women worldwide. https://www.endocrine.org/news-and-advocacy/news-room/2026/pcos-name-change
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History of Anesthesia in Gynecology
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A short history of anaesthesia before 1846. ESAIC. (2026, January 19). https://esaic.org/a-short-history-of-anaesthesia-before-1846/
Urell, A. (2019, August 29). Medical exploitation of black women. Equal Justice Initiative. https://eji.org/news/history-racial-injustice-medical-exploitation-of-black-women/
AI Health
Alastair Howcroft, Amber Bennett-Weston, Ahmad Khan, Joseff Griffiths, Simon Gay, Jeremy Howick, AI chatbots versus human healthcare professionals: a systematic review and meta-analysis of empathy in patient care, British Medical Bulletin, Volume 156, Issue 1, December 2025, ldaf017, https://doi.org/10.1093/bmb/ldaf017
Banerjee, A., Sarangi, P. K., & Kumar, S. (2024). Medical Doctors' Perceptions of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Healthcare. Cureus, 16(9), e70508. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.70508
Bajwa, J., Munir, U., Nori, A., & Williams, B. (2021). Artificial intelligence in healthcare: transforming the practice of medicine. Future healthcare journal, 8(2), e188–e194. https://doi.org/10.7861/fhj.2021-0095
The impact of AI on the healthcare workforce: Balancing opportunities and challenges | HIMSS. HIMSS. (2021, January 1). https://www.himss.org/resources/impact-ai-healthcare-workforce-balancing-opportunities-and-challenges/
Ly, J. (2025, July 8). AI models will sabotage and blackmail humans to survive in new tests. should we be worried?. Center for Security and Emerging Technology. https://cset.georgetown.edu/article/ai-models-will-sabotage-and-blackmail-humans-to-survive-in-new-tests-should-we-be-worried/
Osnat, B. (2025, April 14). Patient perspectives on Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare: A global scoping review of benefits, ethical concerns, and implementation strategies - sciencedirect. Science Direct. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1386505625002242
Sorensen, A. (2026, June 18). How AI will shape the future of health care in 2026. SullivanCotter. https://sullivancotter.com/resources/how-ai-will-shape-the-future-of-health-care-in-2026
Wells, S. (2025, June 11). Exploring the dangers of AI in Mental Health Care. Stanford HAI. https://hai.stanford.edu/news/exploring-the-dangers-of-ai-in-mental-health-care
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